All Eyes on OfficeMax and Grand&Toy

posted by Brant Ran

Reports and pictures are just starting to roll in from the dozens of actions at OfficeMax and Grand & Toy locations throughout the US and Canada.

Early this morning, Activists in Toronto locked themselves to the Headquarters of Grand & Toy for the better part of an hour somehow negotiating their way out with no arrests! Read the story from Canadian press and check out the photos.

In Waterloo, Ontario activists with AW@L set up a teepee reading “Native Rights Now” on the lawn of the Grand &Toy distribution centre and constructed a faux clear-cut (see photos and video from the event).

More than a dozen from Free the Planet at Ohio State University donned caribou antlers and migrated to the campus OfficeMax store. The group is pushing the University to adopt stronger environmental and social standards for paper procurement. According to one report, the group was intercepted by Administration reps mid-migration to talk about how to resolve student concerns.

In San Francisco, more than 30 activists descended on an OfficeMax store (see photos). An advance group of about one dozen entered the store as shoppers to stock up on paper. As they wheeled their carts to check-out, the shoppers discovered information about Grassy Narrows among their paper products. Luckily, two investigators with the San Francisco Forest Crimes Division happened to be in the store and intervened in the situation—requesting calm from the outraged shoppers and clarification from store management. Not amused, the manager ripped up letters requesting support for Grassy Narrows and called the police.

Harriet reports that “four members of Ventura County RAN braved the wind and cold to demonstrate at the Thousand Oak’s, CA OfficeMax. I told the manager of our concerns and why we were there. He said he knew we were coming and he wished us luck. He was very sympathetic to our cause, took information about Grassy Narrows and RAN, and said he would let higher-ups know of our concerns. Wearing antlers and RAN tee shirts and waving banners and signs, we attracted attention. Some people took our information and returned later to sign our petitions. There was a great deal of enthusiasm.”

An office activist in Toronto writes: “My personal while-at-work action today was also successful: My office uses half FSC paper, half G&T. I wrote to the president and vp:finance today, even though I’ve only been there a week; we are meeting next week to discuss an alternate paper source. That will be almost half-million of G&T business taken away!”

Thanks to everyone who turned out. Keep the reports and photos coming!

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